Firefighters were battling early Thursday to control a series of wildfires in the Los Angeles area that killed five people, ravaged communities and sent thousands of people frantically fleeing their homes.
The latest blazes broke out Wednesday night in the Hollywood Hills, hitting closer to the heart of the city and its entertainment industry roots and putting densely populated areas at the forefront of extremely windy and dry conditions.
That came as firefighters struggled to control three other large fires that killed five people, put 130,000 people under evacuation orders and ravaged communities from the Pacific Ocean to inland Pasadena.
The Sunset Fire was burning near the Hollywood Bowl and about 1.6 kilometers from the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Fierce winds that fanned the flames and led to chaotic evacuations have calmed down a bit and were not expected to be as powerful Thursday, although they could pick up again early in the weekend. The relief could be an opportunity for firefighters to make progress battling fires that have hopscotched across the sprawling region, including large ones in the Pacific Palisades and Altadena areas.
Winds died down a bit Wednesday, a day after hurricane-force winds blew embers through the air, burning block after block, and hundreds of firefighters from other states have arrived to help. .
Los Angeles Fire Department Captain Erik Scott said they were able to keep the fire under control because “Mother Nature was a little better for us today than she was yesterday.”
Most destructive Palisades Fire in LA history
The earlier fires, which have consumed about 108 square kilometers, showed that the danger is far from over.
Hurricane force winds blew through the air, burning block after block in the Pacific Palisades coastal area as well as in Altadena, a community near Pasadena. Nearly 2,000 homes, businesses and other structures have been destroyed in those fires – known as the Palisades and Eaton fires – and the number is expected to rise.
More than half a dozen schools in the Los Angeles area were damaged or destroyed.
The Palisades Fire is already the most destructive in the history of Los Angeles in terms of damage, although the five deaths recorded so far in the Los Angeles wildfires were due to the Eaton fire.
US President Joe Biden signed a federal emergency declaration after arriving at the Santa Monica fire station for a briefing with Gov. Gavin Newsom, who sent National Guard troops to help.
Higher temperatures and less rain mean a longer fire season.
'Somewhere that doesn't really exist'
In Palisades Village, the public library, two major grocery stores, a pair of banks and several boutiques were destroyed.
“It's very strange to come back to a place that doesn't really exist,” said Dylan Vincent, who returned to the community to retrieve some items and found that his elementary school had burned down. and that the entire blocks were leveled.
In Pasadena, Fire Chief Chad Augustin said the city's water system was stretched and further blocked by power outages, but even without those issues, firefighters would not have been able to stop the fire because of the strong winds that fanned the flames.
“These erratic winds were throwing embankments several miles ahead of the fire,” he said.
Aerial photos collected by KNBC early Thursday show the sprawling Palisades fire, one of five major fires in the Los Angeles area.
As flames moved through his neighborhood, Jose Velasquez doused his family's Altadena home with water as embers rained down on the roof. He managed to save their home, but others were not so lucky.
“So we had to call a few people and then we had people messaging, asking if their house was still standing,” he said.
“We had to tell them no.”
Black pools, burnt sports cars
Fast moving flames did not have much time to escape.
Police sought shelter inside their patrol cars, while residents of a senior living center were pushed in wheelchairs and hospital beds down a street to safety.
Beyond the burned areas, residents were working with N95 masks on, unable to escape from the toxic smoke that was wafting over large parts of the city.
The extent of the devastation was just becoming clear: Block after block of California Mission Style homes and bungalows were reduced to nothing but charred remains with stone fireplaces and black arched entrances. Ornate iron railings wrapped around the smoldering frame of one house.
The apocalyptic scenes spread for miles. Swimming pools were blackened with soot, and sports cars crashed on melted tires.
Actors lost homes
The flames were marching toward densely populated and wealthy communities, including Calabasas and Santa Monica, home to California's rich and famous.
Mandy Moore, Cary Elwes and Paris Hilton are among the stars who said on Wednesday that they have lost homes.
Billy Crystal and his wife Janice lost their home of 45 years in the Palisades Fire.
“We raised our children and grandchildren here. Every inch of our house was filled with love. Beautiful memories that cannot be taken away,” the Crystals wrote in the statement.
Deadly and destructive wildfires are raging through the Los Angeles area, fanned by powerful winds. Canadian actor and comedian Shaun Majumder says his house was not affected; however, he has no power and his family could feel the strong winds.
Several Hollywood studios halted production, the Critics Choice Awards were postponed from Wednesday until January 26 and Universal Studios closed its theme park between Pasadena and Pacific Palisades.
In sports, the accident forced the NHL to cancel the Los Angeles Kings' home game against the Calgary Flames on Wednesday.
The NBA's Lakers were still set to host a home game Thursday night against Charlotte.
The NFL said it was evaluating the possible impact of the fires on its playoffs. The Los Angeles Rams host the Minnesota Vikings in a game scheduled for Monday night at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood.
